Blueberry cell wall fractionation, characterization and glycome profiling

Blueberry powder was sequentially fractionated to water (WSF), chelator (CSF) and sodium carbonate (NSF) soluble fractions. Uronic acid content was above 22 Mu g/mg AIS. The 4% potassium hydroxide (4KSF) and 24% potassium hydroxide (24KSF) soluble fractions were hemicellulose rich fractions. Cell wall glycan-directed monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) based glycome profiling analyses revealed that WSF, CSF and NSF fractions had epitopes of homogalacturonan (HG), arabinogalactan (AG), and xyloglucan (XG), but no xylan. 4KSF and 24KSF fractions had higher abundance of xyloglucan and xylan epitopes in addition to pectic epitopes. Arabinose and galactose were the two major neutral sugars in the WSF, CSF, and NSF. Xylose represented about 70 mol% neutral sugar in 4KSF and 24KSF fractions. Increased flexibility and presence of protein likely influence the propensity of pectin to bind anthocyanins.